Process for constructing the hulls of airships



Au 21, 1928-. v 1,681,790

T. B. SLATE PROCESS FOR CON-STRUGTING THE HULLS OF 'AIRSHIPS Filed Aug.25, 1925 i S m anvemtoc Patented Aug. 21, 1 .928.

nurse STATES AENT OFFICE.

THOMA$ I3. SLATE, F GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 SLATE AIRCRAFTC01?- POIRATION, A. CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

PROCESS FOR CONSTBUCTING THE HULLS- OF AIRSHIPS.

Application filed August 25, 1 .925. Serial 3310. 52,390.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel process of and meansfor shaping metal strips to be used in constructing the hull of anairship and for any other purposes to which the process may be foundsuitable. It is also the object of my invention to provide a gastightmetallic airship of the rigid type, of great strength and lightness, andwhich is also gastight and fireproof. It is also my object to provide anairship shell which is lightning-proof by making the outside covering ofa metal that is a good conductor of electricity.

It is a further object of my invention to provide novel means forforming the sheet metal strips in corrugated form whereby to givegreater strength and lightness to eliminate a multiplicity of jointedparts in an airship casing. I attain the ob ects of my invention by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forms for producing the longitudinalstrips;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one end of the form;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the form for shaping the transverse ringsused to remtorce the hull of the airship;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section through a portion of the airshipshowing the lock seaming of the edges of the longitudinal strips; and

Fig. 7 is a detail interior plan View of a portion of the airship hulland one of the rings 36.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a suitably corrugatedform 29 reinforced by strips 31. Form 29 is curved to conform to thedesired contour of the airship hull and is provided withlongitudinal 45ridges or corrugations tapering or gored at each end according to theproportional diameter of the airship, that is' corrugations extendinglongitudinally of the metal strips conforming to the gored shape of thestrips as shown. At the end of the form I pro- Vide drums or rollers 32having suitable handles for revolving same. A strip of sheet metal islaid over the outside of the form and fastened at its ends to the drumsor rollers 32 and these are then revolved in the proper direction tostretch the sheet of metal. When the sheet has been placed under thetension of its elastic limit it will conform to the corrugations of form29, or form 38. This operation may be considerably aided by rubbing thestrip down with the corrugated form or shaping block 39, as shown inFig. 3, at the same time that additional stress is applied to drums 32.The strips of metal are always left in even and uniform Width until theyhave been shaped to the desired form. The strips are then trimmed tothe, proper width from end to end, tapering at each end, and the edges34 are bent into U-shape for lock seams, as indicated in Fig. 6. Thestrips are joined together to form a symmetrical hull and the U-shapededges are look seamed and fastened by rivets 35.

The operation in forming the spacing rings 36 is. somewhat similar. Iprovide a form 38 having a surface suitably corrugated as desired. Atone end is a block 39 connected by links 40 to the end of form 38. Thestrip of metal is drawn from one end and is held by block 39 during thedrawing process. I first wind on the roller a strip of metal ofsufiioient length to make one complete circle of the hull of theairship. The strip is gradually unwound from drum 37. As it is unwoundblock 39 is moved back and forth to shape the strip into the desiredcross-sectional corrugations, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Thecorrugations in either circular or longitudinal ribs may be of anysuitable shape to give great' strength to strips of light metal. Thestrips 29 are longitudinal frame and outside covering combined in onepiece to reduce the total weight of the airship.

The circular spacing rings are made in one continuous strip to add totheir strength without adding the weight of riveted joint-s,

etc. Spacing rings 36 function to give rigidity to longitudinalcorrugated strips 81 in the direction of their width.

I may provide suitable cross and longitudinal bracing wires 41 afiixedto the rings 36. I prefer, however, to entirely omit cross andlongitudinal bracing wires 41.

I claim:

1. The process of constructing the hull of an airship consisting informing corrugated metal strips of the desired curvature for a sectionof an airship hull said strips having their corrugations tapered to apoint at the end of the strip, sealing the longitudinal edges ofadjacent strips together to form the hull, and affixing corrugated ringsto the hull transversely thereof.

2. A process of forming metal strips to be i used in constructing anairship hull, placing the ships over a corrugated form, fastening theends to rollers to stretch the strips to their elastic limit, whereby tocorrugate the strip to correspond with the shape of the form, andtrimming the strips at each end to a symmetrically tapering shapeconforming with the tapering shape of the corrugations previously formedin the strip.

3. A process of constructing reinforcing rings for an airship hullconsisting in placing a metal strip over a corrugated form, attachingone end of the strip to the roller at one end of the form, windingsufiicient metal on the roller to make: a complete circle of the ship,pressing the strip down over the form With a reversely corrugatedblockslidably seated over and pivotally mounted on the form, andunwinding the metal strip from the drum as it is shaped to form acomplete ring.

4. The process of constructing an airship consisting in shaping stripsof metal into the desired curved shape longitudinally and at the sametime forming longitudinal corrugationi-a in the metal strips to increasethe strength thereof. said corrugations being tapered at each end of thestrip and trimming off the edges of the strips after forming same toprovide symmetrically tapered ends.

5. T he process of constructing the hull of an airship, consisting insimultaneously curving and corrugating strips of metal to increase theirstrength, the corrugations being tapered at each end of the strip, andtrimming the edges of the strips after forming same toprovidesymmetrically tapered ends, and fastening the strips together securelyalong their longitudinal edges.

6. The process of constructing the hull of an airship, consisting inshaping strips of metal into the desired curved shape longitudinally andat the same time forming longitudinal corrugations in the metal stripsto increase the strengththereof, said corrugations being tapered at eachend of the strip, trimming the edges of the strips after forming same toprovide symmetrically tapered ends, fastening the longitudinal edges ofthe strips together securely, forming metal rings with corrugationsextending lengthwise of the rings, and fastening the rings at spacedintervals inside to form the hull of the airship.

7. The process of constructing the hull of an airship, consisting inshaping strips of metal into the desired curved shape longitudinally andat the same time forming longitudinal corrugations in the metal stripsto increase the strength thereof, said corrugations being tapered ateach end of the strip, trimming the edges of the strips after formingsame to provide symmetrically tapered ends, fastening the longitudinaledges of the strips together securely, forming metal rings withcorrugations extending lengthwise ot' the rings, and fastening the ringsat spaced intervals on the interior of the hull of the airship. I I

8. In combination with the process de scribed in claim 6. affixing crossand longitudinal bracing wires to the rings for reinforcing.

9. The process of constructing an airship of the type described,consisting in forming its hull of light sheet metal in narrow stripsdrawn to shape the full length of the ship, corrngating the strips bystretching the metal to its elastic limit over a corrugated form, andsecuring the longitudinal edges of the strips together, and sealingthem.

THOMAS E. SLATE.

